[Late L. thūs, thūr-, cl. L. tūs, tūr-, generally held to be f. Gr. θύος -εος sacrifice, offering, incense; cf. θύ-ειν to sacrifice.]
1. Frankincense. a. Olibanum. b. Resin obtained from the spruce-fir, and from various species of pine. American thus, the resin of the Long-leaved Pine, Pinus palustris, and the Frankincense or Loblolly Pine, P. Tæda, both of the southern U.S.
[a. 1387. Sinon. Barthol. (Anecd. Oxon.), 42. Thus album, i. olibanum, franke ensens.]
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R. (Bodl. MS.), lf. 232 b/2. Thus is þe name of a tre & of þe gomme þat woseþ and comeþ oute þerof. Ibid., 233/1. Thus is beste þat is white faste and sounde and euelong.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), Thus or Tus, Frankincense, Incense.
1712. trans. Pomet’s Hist. Drugs, I. 201. Thus, or Frankincense, is a Kind of white or yellowish Rosin.
1842. Brande, Dict. Sc., etc., Thus, the resin of the spruce fir. The term frankincense is also applied to it.
1880. C. R. Markham, Peruv. Bark, xvi. 185. A milk-white fragrant resin, of a nature analogous to gum thus or gum elemi.
† 2. By early writers, taken also as name of the tree yielding olibanum or frankincense. Obs.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R. (Bodl. MS.), lf. 232 b/2. Thus is a tre of Arabia … And therof comeþ Iuse wiþ good smelle & is white as almaundes. Ibid. [see sense 1].
